UT Dave

I haven't heard of anyone nugget hunting with the Manticore yet. But I think until the smaller M8 coil becomes available, nobody will be able to really say. - Dave

Not watching for the boat anymore! Mine got here today. Charging now. About to pull it off the charger and take a spin around my coin garden before it gets dark and starts snowing again. Going to take a few days and head south for some ghost towny stuff very soon. Even that looks to be pretty frozen this coming weekend, so probably next weekend. - Dave

It does appear that ML has made their BT proprietary. I'm still guessing a bit too though. As I've yet to read of anyone trying a BTE device with the Manticore. They aren't terribly available or affordable just yet, so that is understandable. That's the only hope though I believe, that newer BTE devices will be compatible. But, all indications thus far, seem to point towards proprietary. I saw Dankowski comment that the Manticore BT won't be compatible with third party devices, too. A darn shame if it is so. I won't wear headphones in hot weather, period. And I don't like using the speaker. I guess there are plenty of options for velcro addons for adding the capability, but ML really screwed it up if they actually made their BTE proprietary. - Dave

I've been asking about availability of the coils since the day I got on a list for the machine. I've heard nothing yet. Which I think makes it a good guess that dealers haven't heard anything yet either. I'm going to get both of them. But I really, really want that M8. - Dave

I relate well to grumpy old guys, myself. - Dave

Saw this, just checked my email, I've got one shipping from Gerry out of this batch too. Yippee! - Dave

I don't have mine yet (come on Minelab, send a pallet to Gerry!). From reading the manual a few times, I was thinking the ability to adjust the equivalent of Equinox FE and F2, simultaneously and independently, was going to be a neat feature. After SteveG's recent posts, I'm thinking so even more. I have not been all that excited about the Target Trace screen. Still, not really "excited" about it. But, starting to realize that being able to visualize the effects of the FE limits adjustments to audio on targets in the ground, in real time, is, in fact, going to be quite useful. I think. Otherwise, I've mostly been looking at TT as a White's Signagraph with a (to me) slightly less useful signal strength indication. I did like the Signagraph, and have expected to like TT, just have not really thought it was going to be much of a big deal. - Dave

Everyone else I know with a detector around here, which is a few folks, got them either at big box stores or online from Amazon. To go just by the people I personally know, it's a wonder small specialty dealers even still exist. There's tons of stuff way more expensive than $1600 all over the place inside a Cabelas. Or any other big sporting goods store. Scheels is another one that always has Minelabs on display. Sportsmans Warehouse. Others. They all sell detectors and as far as I would know, in real life, not the internet, that is where everyone buys them. - Dave

Strick, this early on, what's your gut feel of the Nox 800 compared to the Manticore in iron? My 800 falses a good bit with the settings I like to run, but I've learned to recognize most iron with it just the same. Usually, when I dig iron, I was expecting to. "Usually". But wondering, how you feel the Manticore compares? Same, better, worse, can't tell yet? If it's the same or any better, I think I'll learn to recognize most falses easily enough with some hours of practice. Never going to recognize them all, but I don't mind digging some surprises, not all of them are bad. - Dave

I'll hit heavy irons with mine shortly after it arrives. I just wish the M8 coil was arriving at the same time. And wish I knew how long it will be for the other coils to surface. I'll get them both, but I really, really want that smaller 5.5x8. Given I'll be stuck with the 11" for likely a good while on the MC, my 800 with the 6" is coming along too... - Dave

Finding the size of the screw will be simple. If you don't have anything at home to do it, just take the screw to a Lowe's or Home Depot. They have sizing displays near the hardware, just see which one the screw fits and you know the size. They may even have a plastic bolt of the correct thread pitch on the shelf. If not, they'll be easy to find online from a number of different sources. - Dave

I'd hope he doesn't have anywhere near that kind of weight. But I haven't watched any of his MC videos, and won't. Haven't watched any of anyone's MC videos. Pretty sure I can figure the machine out for myself whenever it finally gets here. In my own dirt, on my own targets, in my own preferred hunting style. And I'm totally sure it will be even better than the 800, which has been fantastic. I'd rather read the manual again than watch any of the vids. - Dave

Maybe... The Manticore hasn't been manufactured in numbers yet? Production delays? I know absolutely nothing. Just starting a false internet rumor. But, in half seriousness, it's the simplest explanation. - Dave

Neither will I. But as of now? It looks like the only other option will be speaker. Which, I don't favor. But I'll have to take it over any headphones in the heat. Just ain't doing headphones when it's hot out. Nope. But not having ear bud options - and not wanting any hypothetical ML earbud options either, is going to suck more than just a little bit. Especially as the MC has a BTE chipset. Kinda pissed about that... - Dave

You have a much clearer understanding of BTE than I do. From my skimming of the documentation, my very limited and possibly incorrect understanding is that BTE can, and should be backwards compatible to 4.0 as written into the spec. But, it doesn't HAVE to be, I think. Chips can be configured not to be. And even worse, and as I think we both fear Minelab may have done, they can even be configured not to be compatible with standard BTE devices. I mentioned in another thread today, if I was King of Minelab I'd gut the entire marketing department. If, you were releasing a new detector, with a feature as stinking cool as BTE compatibility, why is the marketing department not touting it? Either the Manticore doesn't have BTE compatibility, or the marketing department is even more inept than I thought. This has me worried Minelab has gone out of their way to totally screw up a really good thing. But I hope not... The marketing department shows indications of actually being that inept. I hope that's all that is going on. As you say, so far, nobody that might actually know, has said boo about it. - Dave

There's plenty of ghost towns, and park turf too for that matter, I guess, south of me. It's a long drive. But I was going to be hitting it in a few weeks anyway. If my Manticore is here by then, yippee! But I'm sort of planning on it not being. I went into this expecting Feb. or Mar. And there's nothing I can do about it anyway. So I haven't worried about it much. I get your frustration though. I think you had different expectations that me. And not without reason - going by what Minelab has been spewing. My expectations were set by the same spewing, I just wasn't buying any of it, and Gerry has been super upfront about setting realistic expectations for my order too. Agree with everyone who has basically said Minelab excels at public maneuvering to frustrate and disappoint customers on new releases. They really do suck at it. Marketing is marketing and it's required, but it can be done more effectively and in ways that don't set folks up to be ticked off. If I was King of Minelab, I'd get all new marketing folks lol! - Dave

Gerry, that picture on the beach kinda hurts my snow covered feelers right now... - Dave

I've worked in the software development industry more than 30 years now. An old saw in software is that "R&D" stands for "Rob & Duplicate". A guy I worked for, for many years. A brilliant software engineer, marketer, salesman, workaholic and businessman all rolled into one. Was with him from a few years after startup until he sold the company for nine figures (without ever going into debt or ever going public!). One of his favorite sayings, was that "business is a contact sport". He used lawyers and lawsuits to harass, distract, hamstring and wage scorched earth campaigns on his competitors in a way that was utterly ruthless and without moral compass. And he spent boat loads of money on that stuff. He's the one that made himself a very wealthy man and I'm the one still working for a living. I've long since realized, this kind of stuff is just part and parcel of competition between companies. And being the aggressor usually results in the better outcome - and a better outcome doesn't necessarily require a "win" on the legal proceedings. - Dave

So behind the times... It's going to be the Nox 4K. - Dave

Anxiously awaiting Gerry's shipment! Now, haven't heard anything, so presume there's nothing to hear, but I'm also anxious for that small elliptical coil. - Dave

An announcement eh? Yeah, maybe. Or maybe just more promises to make announcements. Just make the Manticore manual available. Announce that. Announce "something". - Dave

Dang it... I had myself all settled in for a long winters wait. Had the excitement all tamped down. Now you go and get me all anxious again. - Dave

Meh... Fries of French origin, okay. But, frites, now, frites - what fries wish they could be - frites are Belgian. Put frites in a bun with merguez sausages and andalouse sauce, the French are begging for the recipe. Downtown Salt Lake has a hole in the wall that serves exactly that and calls it the Machine Gun. Bruges. Highly recommend if you're ever hungry in downtown Salt Lake. Best Italian sandwiches in town next door at Caputos's. - Dave

My guess why not, is Minelab is a disciplined operation and speaking of such is for the marketing folks, not the engineers. Where I work, I don't really want my engineers getting out in front of the marketing folks either. The marketers have their job, we have ours. Ours is to build it. There's is to sell it. Two vastly different skill sets. I'll add though... The dang marketing folks do like to get out in front of the engineers and talk about stuff that isn't even in the design phase yet, let alone close to completion - or sometimes even possible! Marketing. Can't live with them. Can't live without them. - Dave

Purely speculation - obviously. But I think that Minelab's seemingly somewhat disciplined radio silence may indicate that, forces that want to hold shipment until all the T's are crossed (engineers), may be having some success in swaying the forces that want to ship MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and ship updates later (sales, marketing). Publicly traded companies don't dare try and get cute with holding up ready to ship product. They'll ship just as soon as they come off the production line. I think I'll be at least moderately surprised if there isn't at least one update on the heels of release. We'll see... - Dave